When someone's sexual behaviour feels out of control and destructive they often describe themselves as having a sexual addiction. Professionally we talk about compulsive sexual behaviour. Neither description takes away responsibility from the individual to deal with this and until you do, nothing will change.
Sex therapists often work with sexual addiction, helping an individual to discover what underlies their urges to act sexually in ways which will be destructive for themselves and others they care about. Often we find that sex addicts are sexualizing their needs for love and closeness and that they have been using sex (masturbation, sex workers, partner sex, pornography, internet sex etc.) to soothe and comfort themselves.
Usually alternative skills need to be learned to be able to achieve non-sexual intimacy and self-soothing. Boundaries need to be understood. Sometimes past abuse needs to be come to terms with.
Along with this therapeutic work there needs to be a practical focus to identify early warning signs of compulsive behaviour and learn to take responsibility to ensure destructive behaviour cycles are not continued.
